Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project · presentations, along with a written reflection on...
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Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project Anthropology/Folklore 370 - Fall 2019 Glenn Hinson, Professor Hannah Evans, Teaching Asst. / Indaia Whitcombe, Graduate Research Consultant Veronica Chandler & Meagan Watson, Research Mentors ___________________________________ Where does the mind travel when encountering the term “Southern Legacies”? For many, the answer has long been, “a land of terror.” And for good reason. One need only step by that space near Franklin Street that for more than a century featured a not-so-silent statue to understand why. That longstanding monument was, for many, a testament to terrorism, constantly reminding students, staff, faculty, and passers-by that what some call “pride” also stands for the habits of oppression, enshrining past regimes within a cloak of misplaced “honor.” This claim to “honor” can survive only when the experiences of those dis honored are erased, removed from presumably “trustworthy” histories and cast aside. The Descendants Project invites you to challenge this erasure, and to step into those experiences. It will do so by giving you the tools to recapture hidden histories of Black experience, drawing you into both the archival record and the deep wellsprings of personal testimony. In so doing, it will most assuredly invite you to rethink the power of resilience, and to re-envision—in collaboration with consultants whom we’ll meet along the way—the potential for racial reconciliation. This semester marks only the second time that “Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project” has been taught. The Project itself emerged out of a set of earlier classes, which taught us that the task that we had assumed demanded more time for research, and more time for careful engagement with the communities in which the racial violence that we were investigating originally occurred. This version of the class—now a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE)—hopes to better meet the goals that victims’ families, community members, and our many collaborators have set for this research project. This year’s class is also part of the College of Arts & Sciences’ newly inaugurated Reckoning initiative, a project that connects 18 classes in a shared exploration of race, memory, and the role of the public university. (You’ll find more about this initiative later in the syllabus.) . . . so what exactly do we hope to accomplish? The “descendants” to whom the course title refers are the descendants of lynching victims in North Carolina. They’re the people whose stories largely haven’t been told, the individuals who have lived fulfilling lives and pursued new possibilities Between 1920 & 1938, the NAACP offices in Manhattan unfurled this banner every time another Black person was lynched. It appeared hundreds of times during this period.
Transcript of Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project · presentations, along with a written reflection on...
Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project
Anthropology/Folklore 370 - Fall 2019
GlennHinson,ProfessorHannahEvans,TeachingAsst./IndaiaWhitcombe,GraduateResearchConsultant
VeronicaChandler&MeaganWatson,ResearchMentors___________________________________
Wheredoesthemindtravelwhenencounteringtheterm“SouthernLegacies”?Formany,theanswerhaslongbeen,“alandofterror.”Andforgoodreason.OneneedonlystepbythatspacenearFranklinStreetthatformorethanacenturyfeaturedanot-so-silentstatuetounderstandwhy.Thatlongstandingmonumentwas,formany,atestamenttoterrorism,constantlyremindingstudents,staff,faculty,andpassers-bythatwhatsomecall“pride”alsostandsforthehabitsofoppression,enshriningpastregimeswithinacloakofmisplaced“honor.”
Thisclaimto“honor”cansurviveonlywhentheexperiencesofthosedishonoredareerased,removedfrompresumably“trustworthy”historiesandcastaside.TheDescendantsProjectinvitesyoutochallengethiserasure,andtostepintothoseexperiences.ItwilldosobygivingyouthetoolstorecapturehiddenhistoriesofBlackexperience,drawingyouintoboththearchivalrecordandthedeepwellspringsofpersonaltestimony.Insodoing,itwillmostassuredlyinviteyoutorethinkthepowerofresilience,andtore-envision—incollaborationwithconsultantswhomwe’llmeetalongtheway—thepotentialforracialreconciliation.
Thissemestermarksonlythesecondtimethat“SouthernLegacies:TheDescendantsProject”hasbeentaught.TheProjectitselfemergedoutofasetofearlierclasses,whichtaughtusthatthetaskthatwehadassumeddemandedmoretimeforresearch,andmoretimeforcarefulengagementwiththecommunitiesinwhichtheracialviolencethatwewereinvestigatingoriginallyoccurred.Thisversionoftheclass—nowaCourse-BasedUndergraduateResearchExperience(CURE)—hopestobettermeetthegoalsthatvictims’families,communitymembers,andourmanycollaboratorshavesetforthisresearchproject.
Thisyear’sclassisalsopartoftheCollegeofArts&Sciences’newlyinauguratedReckoninginitiative,aprojectthatconnects18classesinasharedexplorationofrace,memory,andtheroleofthepublicuniversity.(You’llfindmoreaboutthisinitiativelaterinthesyllabus.)
...sowhatexactlydowehopetoaccomplish?
The“descendants”towhomthecoursetitlerefersarethedescendantsoflynchingvictimsinNorthCarolina.They’rethepeoplewhosestorieslargelyhaven’tbeentold,theindividualswhohavelivedfulfillinglivesandpursuednewpossibilities
Between1920&1938,theNAACPofficesinManhattanunfurledthisbannereverytimeanotherBlackpersonwaslynched.Itappearedhundredsof
timesduringthisperiod.
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inthewakeoftheviolenceinflictedontheirfamiliesgenerationsbefore.They’realsothepeoplewhommosthistoriesofracialviolenceneverdiscuss.Wehopetochangethat.Andwhilesodoing,wehopetohelpfosterafullerpublicawareness—andeventualpublicacknowledgement—oftheregion’shistoryofracialviolence.
Todothis,though,weneedtofindthesedescendants.Andthatmeansbeginninginthearchive,locatingthestoriesofthosewhowerelynched,andworkingoutwardsfromthere.That’sPart Oneoftheproject,whichisallaboutlearningtoseethroughtheerasure,learningtocreativelyextrapolate,andlearningtoadventurouslycollaboratetodiscoverpatternsandpathwaysneverimaginedbyresearcherswhoworkalone.
Part Twoofthisjourneyunfoldsinourfieldwork,asweworktoexpandthehistoricalrecordbyaddingtoittherecordedvoicesandstoriesofthedescendants.Thispartisnot,however,justabouthearing.Instead,itaboutlearninghowtoincisivelyandempathicallyengageinconversation,aboutlearningwhentolistenandwhentolead,aboutlearningtotransformthatwhichisheardintofullernarrativeswhosemeaningsresonatefarbeyondthespecificsofindividual’sstories.
Part ThreetakesthearchivalworkofPartOneinadifferentdirection,followingnotthestoriesofdescendants,butthoseofthecommunityinwhichtheviolenceoccurred.Thisyear,we’llbemeetingwithBlackresidentsofWarrenCounty,whereAlfredWilliamsandPlummerBullockwerelynchedin1921,andwherethecounty’s“official”historicalrecordhasvirtuallyerasedallmentionoftheracialterrorismthatonce
reignedthere.We’vebeeninvitedbycommunitymemberstohelpopenapublicconversationabout
thecounty’slegacyofracialviolence,andtobegintheprocessofcreatingapublicmemorialtothevictims.Again,inthisdifferentcontext,we’llbelearninghowtolisten;wewillalso,though,belearninghowtobuildargumentsthatcanconvincinglychallengegenerationsofassumptions/claimsonthepartofthoseinpower,andhopefullyhelpopenpathstofullercross-racialconversationandreconciliation.
Closertohome,we’lladditionallybecollaboratingwiththeOrangeCountyCommunityRemembranceCoalition,whoareactivelyworkingtosecureapublicmemorialforthe1898OrangeCountylynchingvictim,ManlyMcCauley.Thissemester,we’llbeconductingarchivalresearchtoidentifydescendantsofMcCauley,and(hopefully)interviewingsomeofthosedescendants,leadinguptoasoilcollection/libationceremonyatthesiteofthemurderinNovember.
...howdotheseprojecttaketheformofassignments?
Thoughthearchival,oralhistorical,andcommunity-basedprojectswilladmittedlybechallenging,theclassitselfshouldbeanadventure,filledwithunexpectedtwists,demanding
AnimagefromJamesGonzales-Day’s“ErasedLynching”series(2013),inwhichtheartisthasremovedthemurderedbody,highlightingthepresenceofthewhite
perpetrators...whoseidentitieshavesoconvenientlybeen“forgotten”
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passages,andserendipitousepiphanies.Here’showwe’llmakethathappen,withcollaborative,team-basedworkasourkey.Asthesemesterunfolds,eachofyouwilljoininthefollowing:
• Ateam-basedarchivalprojectthatentailssearchingfordescendantsinarchival(andinherentlyelusive)sources.
• Ateam-basedfieldworkprojectthatentailsrecordingconversations,loggingthoserecordings,writingindividualreflectionsaboutthefieldencounters,andcraftingasetofgrouppresentations.
• Asetofin-classteampresentations—conductedatleastthreetimesoverthecourseofthesemester—analyticallyexploringtheteam’sresearchprogress.
• AposterpresentationbyyourteamattheQEPResearchandMakingExpo,markingthelastclasssessionwithapresentationalongsideresearchteamsfromotherCUREclasses.
• A20-minute‘finalexam’presentationbyyourteamaddressinglessonslearnedfromthefieldresearchandcommunitymeetings,andproposingnewresearchpathsfortheproject.
Additionally,eachofyouwillbeindividuallyresponsiblefor:
• 3shortwrittenresponsestotheassignedreadings,and1tooneofourguests’in-classpresentations,alongwithawrittenreflectiononeachinterviewthatyourteamconducts.
• Oneclasswhereyouandtwootherswillleadtheclass’sTuesdaydiscussion.• Afinal8pagepaperaddressingthreekeythemesemergingfromthesemester’sresearch.
WhileSakaihasmoredetails,youshouldknowthatthefirstofthesewillbeapersonalreflectionontheproject’simpactonyouasbotharesearcherandasociallyawareindividual.
...whywillwebefocusingontheaftermathsoflynching?
In2015,theEqualJusticeInitiative(EJI)publishedtheresultsoffouryearsofresearchintothehistoryoflynchingintheAmericanSouth.Intheirreport,LynchinginAmerica:ConfrontingtheLegacyofRacialTerror,theychroniclealmost4000lynchingsthatoccurredintwelvesouthernstatesbetween1877(theendofReconstruction)and1950—anumberfarhigherthananypreviousaccounting.Insettingforththesenumbers,EJIarguesthatthisextendedreignofterrorprofoundlyshapedthecourseofsouthernhistory,transformingbothBlackandwhiteexperienceinwaysthatwecanhardlybegintoimagine.Theypoint,forinstance,tothewaysthatthesemurderspromptedwavesofnorthboundBlackmigrationintheearly20thcentury,framedwhiteunderstandingsofBlackbodiesandBlackcharacter,andinformedlegalattitudesthathavecontributedtothedramaticallyimbalancedincarcerationofAfricanAmericans.Theyalsoremindusthatthesouthernlandscape—sofilledwithmonumentstoareveredwhitepast—
BlackartistCharlesWhite’s“HopefortheFuture”(1945)
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untillastyearheldnomemorialforthevictimsofsouthernropes.
Whatdoesallthishavetodowithanthropologyandfolklore?Bothdisciplinesexplorethewaysthatmeaningsarecreatedandsustainedincommunities.Further,bothgroundtheirexplorationinconversations,recognizingthatthebestwaytounderstandtheworkingsofcultureistoaskthosewholiveit,thosewhoaretheexperts—asitwere—oftheeveryday.Inthisclass,wewilllearnhowtodothisasking—howtostepintocommunitiesthataren’tourown;howtobuildconversationalrelationshipswithstrangers;howtosensitivelyheartheirstories,andtosensitivelyaskprobingquestions;andhowtointerpretthemeaningsthatinfusetheirwords.Inotherwords,wewilltakethefirststepstowardsdoingwhatsocialscientistscall“ethnography.”
Doingethnography,however,doesn’tmeanjustbuildingrelationshipsandaskingrandomquestions.Instead,itinvolvesthefocusedexplorationofworldsofmeaning—withemphasishereontheword“focused.”Ethnographersstepintocommunitieswithquestionsinmind,andthenlearnfromthosecommunitiesthequestionsthattheyshouldbeasking.Ourfocusthissemesterwillbethestoriesoffamilieswhoseancestorswerevictimsoflynching.Somewillbestoriesabouttheviolenceitself,andperhapsofitsrecountedimpactonthefamilies.Somewillbestoriesoffamilymembers’transcendenceofthose“back-then”times.Somewillbestoriestoldbydescendantswhodidn’tevenknowthatanancestorwasavictim.Ourtaskistohear,record,return,andarchivethesestories,withaneyetowardsfillinginchaptersofhistorythathaveremainedunwritten.Thinkofthisprojectasacorrectingofthehistoricalrecord.Andthinkofitasanopportunitytoreflect—witheldersasourguides—onwaystooffertheirstoriestotheworld.
...buthowarewegoingtofindthesedescendants,andhowarewegoingtoengagetheminconversation?
Attheheartofthisclassaretheethnographicprojectsthatwilldrawusintocommunitiesfarfromourown.Thisishowwe’llbegintounderstandethnography.Here’sabriefguidetoourprocess;amoreelaboratediscussion—withspecificguidelines—appearsinthe“Assignments”sectionoftheclass’sSakaisite.
• We’llbeginbycollectivelyexploringthehistoriescapturedin“ARedRecord,”adigitalmapandarchiveofrecordedlynchingsinNorthCarolina,createdbyUNCstudents.Then,inthesecondweekofthesemester,theclasswilldivideintosmallethnographicteams.Eachteamwillbegintheprocessofusingonlinearchivalsources(Ancestry.com,digitizednewspapers,etc.)toidentifylivingdescendantsoflynchingvictims.
• Afteraseriesofin-classtrainingsessionsinethnographicmethods(whenwe’lldiscussrecordingstrategies,waysofquestioning,waysoflistening,andmore),eachteamwillcontactaconsultantandarrangetodigitallyrecordaninitialconversation.
• Eachteamwillthentraveltomeetwiththeirconsultant,recordaconversationofatleast45minutes,andcollectivelysignconsentagreements(onecopyofwhichwillbeleftwiththeconsultant).Thegroupwillthentransfertherecordingtoanarchivablemedium(e.g.,athumbdrive)andcreateadetailedlogoftheconversation.
• AfterwritingthelogandpostingitonSakai,thegroupwillcollectivelycraftasetoffollow-upquestionsforapotentialsecondmeetingwiththeirconsultant;thismustbesubmittedandapprovedbeforeasecondrecordedconversation,followingtheschedulesetforthonSakai.
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...willweactuallyvisitanyofthecommunitiesthatwe’llbediscussing?
Absolutely.Inadditiontothetripsthatteamswilltaketorecordconsultants’lifestories,we’lltravelasaclasstoWarrenCounty,thesiteofadoublelynchingin1921.Thestoryofthesemurdersisbothtragicandtriumphant,withthe“triumph”restinginoneoftheintendedvictims’escapetoCanada,wherehesuccessfullyfoughtfierceeffortsonthepartofNorthCarolinatoextraditehim.ThiswillbeaSaturdaytrip,markedbymeetingswithBlackleadersandactivistsinthecounty,wherewe’lljoinacollectiveefforttocreatethestate’sfirstpublicmemorialtovictimsofracialviolence.OurfirstvisitwillhappenonSaturday,Oct.5;staytunedfordetailsaboutapossiblesecondone...
InearlyNovember,wewillspendaweekendinWashington,D.C.,wherewe’llmeetandinterviewdescendantsofbothoftheWarrenCountyvictims,andmeetwithcuratorsattheNationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistoryandCulture.Transportationandlodgingwillbeprovided,thoughyouwillberesponsibleforyourmeals.
...howwillwebalanceourresearchandclassdiscussion?
ThekeyfeatureofCUREclassesistheirfocusonresearch.Whilemostsuchclassesengagetheirstudentsinasingle,semester-longresearchproject,oursisabitdifferent,inthatourresearchagendaisquitemultifaceted.Thismeansthatyou’llbelearningarangeofmethodological,analytic,andpresentationalskills,whichyou’llbecalledupontocreativelyapplyinasetofshifting(andinherentlyunpredictable)contexts.We’lldedicateoneclasseveryweektoactuallydoingtheresearch;you’llalsobedoingmuchofit(e.g.,interviews,logging,posterpreparation)outsideoftheclassroom,oftenalongsideyourresearchteam.
Butinordertounderstandwhatwe’refinding,andhowtocomprehenditslayeredmeanings,we’llneedtospendtimeexploringitssocialandhistoricalcontexts.Thisiswhereclassdiscussion—andtheassignedreadings—comein;they’llbethefocusofeveryweek’sTuesdayclass(unlessotherwiseannounced).
We’regoingtobetalkingaboutsomehardissuesthissemester;thismeansthatadvancepreparationandfullengagementaredeeplyimportant.NoticethatIforegroundedthe“we”inthatprevioussentence;thisclasswillbebuiltarounddiscussionratherthanlectures.Consequently,youshouldalwayscometoclasspreparedtotalk.I’vechosenthissemester’sreadingstobothinformandprovoke.Toacceptthatprovocation’schallenge,though,you’llhavetodothereadings.
Tofacilitatethisengagement,fourtimesthissemesteryou’llsubmitasingle-pagereflectionthatdiscussesissuesraisedinoneormoreoftheweek’sreadingsorvisits.We’lldesignatethedatesforyourresponsesearlyinthesemester,thusinsuringthatashiftingsetoffolkswillbesubmittingreflectionseveryweek,allowingtherestofustoreadtheirthoughts.You’llneedtouploadthesetotheappropriateSakaifolderby
BlackartistAlisonSaar’ssculpture,“StrangeFruit”(1995),remindsusthatracialviolencetargetedwomenaswellasmen.Here,the
hangingfigureiscladinmetalplates,suggestingaprotectivearmorthattestifies
tobothdefianceandresilience.
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Mondaymorningofyourassignedweek(withlatesubmissionsnotaccepted).Additionally,eachTuesday’sdiscussionwillbeledbyateamof2-3students,whowillpostdiscussionquestionsbyMondaymorning.FurtherinstructionsappearintheSakai“Assignments”folder.
Ofcourse,thesuccessofourdiscussionsandtheteamresearchhingesonyourbeinginclass.Consequently,we’llbetakingattendanceeverysession.Iexpecteveryonetobealwayspresent,unlessyou’vegotalegitimatemedicalexcuse.Fullattendance,andafullscheduleofweeklyreflections,willfigureprominentlyinyourfinalgrade.
......whatwillwebereading/watching/hearing?
We’veonlygotonerequired“textbook”fortheclass,theEqualJusticeInitiative’sLynchinginAmerica,whichtheyareprovidingfreeforeveryclass-member.Assuggestedabove,though,thisisbynomeansallthatwe’llbereadingthissemester.We’llalsorelyonahostofreadingsthatarepostedinthe“CourseReadings”folderinSakai,wheretheyappearaspdffilesorweb-links.Don’tbesurprisedifadditionalreadings/watchings/listeningsfindtheirwayontothesyllabusasthesemesterunfolds.Thisis,afterall,adiscussion-basedclass,whichmeansthatourdirectionwillbedetermined,inpart,byourconversations.Ifourdiscussionssuggestinterestinareasnotcoveredbytheassignedessays,thenwe’lladdmaterialsaccordingly.
...howwillallthisbegraded?
Flexibilityistherulehere,takingintoaccountyourgrowththroughthesemesterandtheparticularchallengesthatoftenmarkarchivalresearchandfieldwork.Ifforcedtobreakdownyourfinalgradeaccordingtoassignmentsandclassparticipation,Iwouldestimatethefollowing:
• Yourgrouparchivalandfieldworkprojects(includingthearchivalrecord,theindividualreflections,theinterviewlogs,&yourgrouppresentations)—40%
• Yourteam’spostersessionandfinalclasspresentation—20%• Yourfinalpaper—20%• Yourattendance/classdiscussion/readingreflections—20%
Oneothernoteisworthmakingaboutgrades.Ifyou’vegotaquestionorachallenge,let’stalkaboutit,inperson.Iwon’tberespondingtoe-mailedcomplaintsaboutscores;Iwill,however,behappytosetupameetingforaconversation.That’salwaysabetterpath.
...what’sourpolicyonacademicintegrity?
Muchoftheworkthatwe’llbedoingthissemesteristeam-based,withcollaborationastherule.Irealize,though,thatingroupsituations,itcanbetemptingtoslackoffabitandletothersdomoreofthework,orto“borrow”theirwords/ideaswhenyou’reaskedtowritesomethingonyourown.Iexpectalloftheworkthatyouproduceforthiscoursetobeyours,withno“borrowings”unlessthosearepermittedbytheircreators,andthenfullyattributed.Inthisregard,IfullyexpectthatyouwillactinaccordancewiththeUniversity’sHonorCode(https://studentconduct.unc.edu/).
Afestivespiritprevailedin1916asthousandsgatheredtoviewthelynchedbodyofJohnRichardsinGoldsboro,N.C.Here,onlookersslideawoodenboxunderthestill-swayingcorpse
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Ifyoufindyourselfinasituationwhereyouthinkyoumayhavetakenonmorethanyoucanhandle,pleasecomeandtalkwithme.Workingtogether,wemaywellbeabletocraftasolution.
...whatifourdiscussionsgetabitoverwhelming,orifI’dsimplyliketotalktosomeoneaboutthem?
Thissemester’sjourneymayprovetobeemotionallychallenging.We’regoingtobeencounteringimagesandsteppingintoconversationsthatwilllikelybeuncomfortable...whichmeansthatyou’llwanttopayattentiontohowyou’refeeling.Stressmakesitselfevidentinahostofsubtleways—difficultyfocusing,increasedirritability,sleeplessness.Theseexperiencesareonlycompoundedbythepoliticalclimateinwhichwe’reliving,wheresomanyfolksarefeelingunsafe,andwheresomuchnow-sanctionedtalkechoestalkoftimesbestleftbehind.Ifyoustartfeelinganxiousoruneasy,pleasepayattention,andpleasereachoutforsupport.Perhapsconsiderheadingtoaspacethatfeelssafeandwelcoming,liketheUpendoLoungeinSASBNorth.OrmaybedropinatCAPS(CounselingandPsychologicalServices),intheCampusHealthServicesbuilding;counselorsthereofferwalk-inconsultationseveryweekdayuntil4:00.Andyoushouldalwaysfeelfreetodropbymyofficeat409-FAlumniHall.Thisisnotaneasypath;there’snoneedtowalkitalone...
Ifyouneedassistance,guidance,orjustsomereassuringwords,don’thesitatetocomeseeme.I’llalwaysbeinmyofficeonTuesdaysandThursdaysfrom9:00-10:30,andthenagainonWednesdaysfrom10:15untilnoon.Ifthosehoursdon’twork,[email protected],andwecansetupanothertimetomeet.
...theReckoningconnection—race,memory,andreimaginingthepublicuniversity
Asmentionedearlier,thisclassispartoftheinauguralyearoftheReckoning:Race,Memory,andReimaginingthePublicUniversityinitiativeintheCollegeofArts&Sciences.Thissharedlearningproject—whichconnects18classesthroughcommonthemesandexperiences—isdesignedtosupportstudentlearninganddiscussionsaboutracism,class,memory,thelegaciesofwhitesupremacy,andthecontemporaryandhistoricalstrugglesforfreedom,equality,andjusticethroughcomparativecases,includingUNC’sownexperiences.StudentsandfacultyparticipatingininitiativecourseswillhaveopportunitiestothoughtfullydiscussthiscomplicatedhistoryinthecontextofU.S.andglobalhistories,togainavocabularyforengaginginthemoment,andtoconsiderhowtorealizethepromiseofwhatitmeanstobeapublicuniversityin21st-centuryAmerica.UNC’sresearchcentersandinstituteswillaugmentcourse-basedlearningwitheventsandalliedresearchopportunitiesthatconnectdiversefieldsofstudytocurrentissues.
Thelearninginitiativeconsistsoftwotypesofcoursesandcommonexperiences:
Resilienceisthethemeofthis2017wallinDetroitbyNewOrleansartistBrandon“BMike”Odums
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• Foundationalcourses(ofwhichoursisone),whichfocusonrace,class,U.S.racialpolitics,thehistoryoftruthandreconciliationprocesses,theAmericanSouth,civilrights,andsimilarissues;
• NewDirectionscourses,whichengagethesetopicsfromperspectivesacrossmultiplefields,sharingrelevantlessonsfromcomparativecases.
Allcourseswithintheinitiativewillsharethreereadingsandallocatethreeclassmeetingstocommonthemes,soallstudentswillhavemeaningfulintersectionsacrossdiverseacademicterrain.
Additionally,facultyandstudentswillcometogetherduringthesemesterforjointpresentationsandtoconnectwiththewiderlearningcommunity.
ThelearningoutcomesofalltheReckoninginitiativeclassesare:
• Practicedifficultconversations,developinganabilitytoenterdiscussionsaboutcontentioustopicsinwaysthatleadtomutualunderstanding;
• Gainavocabularyforengagingthismoment,achancetostudytermssuchasheritage,reparations,memory,story,class,equality,racialjustice,reckoning,truthandreconciliation,inclusionandotherconceptsthatletusgrapplewithwhatthismomentraisesforus;
• Connectdiversefieldstocurrentissues,learninghowtoprovidenewframesofunderstandingforcontemporaryconcerns.
...sowheredoesallthisleaveus?
Hopefully,readytobeginanexcitingandprovocativejourney.Aswithanyjourney,Ifullyexpecttomeetsomedetoursandroughtravelingalongtheway.Thisis,afterall,acoursethat'sverymuch“indevelopment”;we'redefinitelychartingsomeuntestedground.Butifweworktogetherandtreateachotherwithrespect,Ithinkwe'llnegotiatethedifficultieswithease.Remember,we'reallcolleaguesinthisundertaking.I’mlookingforwardtoamostfulfillingsemester.Ihopeyou'redoingthesame...
–GlennHinson
ClassAssignments Unlessotherwisespecified,allreadingsmustbereadbeforeTuesdayclasses
Aug. 20–22 Reality,Remembrance,andMourning
TheClassSyllabus(pleasereadthefullsyllabusbeforeThursday’sclasssession)NatashaTrethewey,SouthernHistory(2006)ClaudiaRankine,TheConditionofBlackLifeisOneofMourning(2016)
Aug. 27–29 CommunitiesofMemory—RememberingandRe-Membering
FitzhughBrundage,NoDeedButMemory(2000)Ta-NehisiCoates,LettertoMySon(2015)
Sept. 3–5 StrangeFruit—SouthernLegaciesofRacialTerror
EqualJusticeInitiative,LynchinginAmerica,4-53(2015)GlendaGilmore,Murder,Memory,andtheFlightoftheIncubus(1998)HoraceWilliams,ABlackManTalkstoGod(1985)
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Sept. 10–12 Tuesday:HearingStories,DiscoveringMeanings—TheArtofFieldwork
GloriaNaylor,PrefacetoMamaDay(1988)ValerieYow,InterviewingTechniquesandStrategies(2015)
Thursday:There’sNothing‘Neutral’AboutAskingQuestions—ThePlayofPresumptionsMitchellDuneier,RaceandPeeingonSixthAvenue(2000)ZandriaRobinson,OntheContinuingSignificanceofRace,andRacismHappens(2014)
Sept. 17–19 Tuesday:MurdersatMidnight—TheKillingsofMr.PlummerBullockandMr.AlfredWilliams
VannNewkirk,excerptfromLynchinginNorthCarolina(2009)
Sept. 24–26 Tuesday:AddressingLegaciesofTrauma—HiddenDimensionsofInterviewing AconversationwithtraumatherapistDr.AmyBauman
Oct. 1–3 Tuesday:TheArtofErasure—WarrenCounty“Histories”
MeetintheLobbyofWilsonLibrary
RaymondGavins,Fear,Hope,andStruggle:RecastingNorthCarolinaintheAgeofJimCrow(1998)
Thursday:ReflectionsonStrategicInvisiblizing...
In-classGroupReportsonYourLibraryDiscoveries
Saturday, Oct. 5 AlternativePerspectives—AVisittoWarrenCounty
Saturdayfieldtrip—Car-poolingfora10:00arrival
Oct. 8–10 Tuesday:PracticingOurEthnographicSkills—AnIn-ClassFieldworkConversation AconversationwithCaswellCountyelderConnieSteadman
AnneValkandLesleyBrown,excerptfromLivingwithJimCrow:AfricanAmericanWomenandMemoriesoftheSegregatedSouth(2010)
Oct. 15 RevisitingTroubledGround—Reminiscences AconversationwithDr.ClaudeClegg,authorofTroubledGround:ATaleofMurder,
Lynching,andReckoningintheNewSouth(2010)
Oct. 17: Fall Break
Monday Night, Oct. 21 FilmScreening—TheRapeofRecyTaylor
7:00p.m.screeningofthefilminRoom205intheUndergraduateLibrary
NancyBuirski,dir.,TheRapeofRecyTaylor(2017)
Oct. 22–24 AnotherKindofLynching—BlackWomenasTargetsofRacialViolence
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DanielleMcGuire,“ItWasLikeAllofUsHadBeenRaped”:SexualViolence,CommunityMobilization,andtheAfricanAmericanFreedomStruggle(2004)
Oct. 29–31 DefyingErasure—ReclaimingtheTreesthatOnceBoreStrangeFruit
WendyS.Walters,LonelyinAmerica(2016)BrianPalmer,FortheForgottenAfrican-AmericanDead(2017)
Nov. 5 Tuesday:Preparations&Reflections
KidadaWilliams,RegardingtheAftermathsofLynching(2014)
Thursday:NOCLASS(inpreparationforourweekendfieldtrip)
Nov. 9–10: Washington, D.C., Fieldtrip FollowingtheForcedMigration—MeetingMembersoftheBullock&WilliamsFamilies
WeekendfieldtriptotheNationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistory&Culture
Nov. 12–14 ReflectionsontheJourney
KidadaWilliams,ResolvingtheParadoxofOurLynchingFixation(2005)BiniLitwinandBarbaraTimmonsStrahl,RevisitingHistory:ExaminingPost-Slaveryand
Post-HolocaustEventsforConsiderationsonAdvancingAtonementintheUnitedStates(2014)
Nov. 19-21 DeclarativeRememberings—Community,Contestation,andPublicMemorials
Nov.21:Finalteamposterdesignsdue
EqualJusticeInitiative,ConfederateIconographyinthe21stCentury(2018) SherrilynIfill,ReconciliationandLynchinginInternationalPerspective(2018)
Nov. 26 DeclarativeRememberingsandtheUniversity—“SilentSam”inContext
DaniellePurifoy,ShriekingSam(2019)EqualJusticeInitiative,TheLastingLegacyofConfederateMonuments(2018)
Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Recess
Dec. 3 QEPResearchandMakingExpo—PosterPresentationsonGroupProjects
Expofrom3:30-5:00attheBlueZone,KenanMemorialStadium FinalPaperDue
Dec. 7 (Saturday): Final Examination at 12:00 Noon BringingItAllTogether—FieldworkPresentations
20-minutepresentationsbyeachresearch/fieldworkteam
Yourindividualcontributiontoyourteam’spresentationwillcountasyourfinalexamination.Pleaseexpecttospendthefullthreehoursoftheexamperiod.
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BibliographiccitationsforalltheassignedreadingsappearintheSakai“Syllabus”folder___________________________________________________________________
TheDescendantsProject-11
PillarshangingattheEqualJusticeInitiative’sNationalMemorialforPeaceandJustice—thenation’sonlymonumentdedicatedtothevictimsoflynching—memorializeeachvictimbyname,dateofdeath,andthestateandcountyoftheirmurder.TheMemorial,whichopenedinthesummerof2018inMontgomery,Alabama,offersthefollowingwordsonitswalls: (PhotocourtesyofEJI)
FOR THE HANGED AND BEATEN. FOR THE SHOT, DROWNED, AND BURNED.
FOR THE TORTURED, TORMENTED, AND TERRORIZED. FOR THOSE ABANDONED BY THE RULE OF LAW.
WE WILL REMEMBER.
